CAREER SPECIAL...Five Ways To Make a Mark During Your Internship

Five Ways To Make a Mark During Your Internship 

YOU NEED TO make the most of the time to impress your organisation during the internship so that rather than merely being a stop-gap arrangement, you can turn your internship into fulltime employment. Some tips and tricks.

1 Follow Office Decorum
Making a positive first impression means showing up on time, dressing professionally and finishing tasks on time. "Always be positive and show your enthusiasm for your work. Some internships are unpaid but that doesn’t mean you can afford to slack off,” says Praveen Malhotra, who bagged a job at the advertising company he had interned at.

2 Show Keenness
While understanding your role is necessary, so is a keenness to learn. “Ask questions, clarify doubts and take regular feedback,” says Krishna Mohan, CEO - sales, supply chain and human capital at Emami. “Prepare notes of whatever you observe and clarify the relevance of the same with your mentor,” he adds.

3 Give Quality Output
Another critical element is the output. "Be focused on delivery of the output, both in terms of quality and timelines. Take guidance from the mentor to ensure your output stands best in class," advises Mohan.

4 Avoid Office Politics
While getting friendly with as many people as possible is an advantage, don’t get dragged into negative conversations or co-worker-bashing. Stay as neutral and as far away from office politics as possible.

5 Get Feedback
Seek feedback post the internship. “Also understand the opportunities available for pursuing a career with the organisation from the mentor and express your keenness to evaluate the same if given an opportunity,” says Krishna Mohan.

Sreeradha D Basu ET120731